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Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
Record of Meeting
Date: 15th February 2016
Present | Deputy L. M. C. Doublet , Chairman Deputy T. A. Vallois Deputy S. Y. Mezec |
Apologies | Deputy J. M. Maçon, Vice-Chairman |
Absent |
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In attendance | Mr M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer. |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
Item 9 07.12.15 516/1(1) | 1. Constitution The Chairman welcomed Deputy T.A. Vallois to the Panel. |
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| 2. Records of Meetings The minutes of the meetings held on 14th December 2015, 11th and 14th January 2016 were approved and signed. |
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Item 2 14.01.16 | 3. Conflicts of Interest There were no conflicts of interest declared. |
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Item 3 14.01.16 516/1/1(3) | 4. Building a Safer Society The Panel considered the 2014 Annual Report, Building A Safer Society and recognised that there were issues contained within the document that fell within the remit of the Panel. These areas needed to be identified and a briefing arranged relating to those areas, following which, the Panel would consider if further work was needed to be undertaken. | MR |
Item 7 14.01.16 516/1/1(5) | 5. Worship in Schools The Panel considered the scoping document relating to worship in schools and recognized that the minor benefit that might be received by children was not balanced by the risks and costs of undertaking the review. The review was rejected. |
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Item 7 14.01.16 516/1/1(5) | 6. Education Law Part 4. However a larger piece of work relating to Part 4 of the Education (Jersey) Law 1999, which encompassed the articles relating to religious education in schools along with compulsory school age, education other than at school, parents right to choose a school and numerous other areas, was to be considered. The Panel discussed the articles within the Law and the practices that were currently undertaken in schools. It considered whether a review aimed at testing the Law against best practice would add value to children's education. A scoping document was to be drafted. | MR |
| 7. Briefings from Chief Officer of Community and Constitutional |
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516/1/1(3) | Affairs. Deputy J. M. Maçon and Deputy S. Y. Mezec reported to the Panel that they had attended a briefing by the Chief Officer of Community and Constitutional Affairs which had been confidential under Absolute Exemption, Article 26 Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. Following the information, the Panel decided it was not going to take any action. The same Deputies had attended a briefing relating to a minor amendment relating to the age of criminal responsibility. The Panel recognised that when the work of the Minister was published, the Panel might wish to consider a review. The time line relating to this work was to be established. The Panel further discussed the concept of such briefings from the Chief Officer. It decided that such briefings were to be encouraged as they stimulated good working relationships between the Panel and the department. Further, that it allowed for the free flow of information relating to the particular area of the Panel's remit, namely the policies and legislation within the remit of the Home Affairs Minister. | MR MR |
Item 1 01.02.16 516/1/1(6) | 8. Education Quarterly Public Hearing The Panel recognised the Minister for Education had been obliged to postpone the Quarterly Public hearing due to an administrative error and agreed to set another convenient date. | MR |
516/1/1(3) | 9. Parent Infant Partnership The Panel noted that the Chairman had received an invitation to join the Minister for Home Affairs at a conference hosted by the charity Parent Infant Partnership UK'. The Chairman had insufficient information relating to this and the Panel considered whether there might be other, better conferences that would give greater return on its interest in 1001 days. This would be considered again at the next Panel meeting. | MR |
Item 1 25.01.16 516/44 | 10. School Starting Age An update was received by the Panel relating to the School Starting Age Review which outlined that the Panel had visited three schools and held an evening workshop which had provided useful information. Letters had been sent to the teaching Unions and a letter to the PTA's in Jersey was about to be posted. A report submitted by the advisor on the visits and workshop was received. The review was considered to be progressing suitably. | MR |
| 11. Ministerial Decisions The Panel agreed that it wanted all Ministerial decisions relating to its remit to be on the agenda in future. | MR |
516/1/1(3) | 12. Prison-Me-No-Way The Panel recalled that it had agreed to attend a Prison-Me-No-Way day in a school to experience the product at first hand. The visit was to | MR |
| be on 22nd February 2016 at Victoria College and was to run for the school day. |
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| 13. Future Meetings The next meeting was scheduled for 9.30am on Monday 14th March 2016 in the Le Capelain Room. | MR |